The present invention relates to an enhanced vertical thermal reactor (VTR) system for use in the processing of semiconductor wafers and the like. Vertical thermal reactors (furnaces) are known in the art which provide for the processing of semiconductor wafers.
In such type of VTR systems, semiconductor wafers contained within cassettes are loaded into a quartz boat and placed into the VTR for suitable processing. Problems in the processing of the semiconductor wafers include the fact that contamination can occur during various stages of the processing and processing delays can occur during the operation of the VTR.
One specific problem is that, particularly in oxidation systems, HCl is used for part of the process. TCA (tetrachloral actylene) may also be used. Both HCl and TCA, with the presence of moisture, form hydrochloric acid, which is extremely corrosive to virtually any metal.
There are other processes which use corrosive substances, such as POCL, and which form corrosive phosphoric acid compounds. The use of such corrosive substances can attack the metal within a process chamber, which can damage the chamber, but it can also release metal ions which find their way into the process, and therefore ruin the device's potential.